As Ever Part 6: Definitely NOT a trad wife

[Strudie]

Previous thread here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_royal_family/5286597-as-ever-part-v-two-stunt-lemons-with-love-meghan

Carry on! Reviews from the US are trickling in, so far, not so good - https://variety.com/2025/tv/reviews/with-love-meghan-markle-netflix-duchess-of-sussex-1236327469/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14463345/with-love-meghan-netflix-chart-rotten-tomatoes-rating.html

she has 11% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from viewers

This conversation with Mindy Kaling was clearly scripted reality. Kaling was told to say 'Meghan Markle' so Meghan could introduce the rebrand as Meghan Sussex, because when you are about to flog regally-packaged hibiscus tea and flower sprinkles at $25 a pop then you don't want to be associated with anyone as downmarket as Thomas and Samantha.

I guess if you are as invested enough to get an As Ever tattoo, like the mean girl Squaddies we finally got to see the other day, you will buy the products, and maybe the likes of Serena and Oprah will do some bulk-buying as part of some 'you scratch my back' trade-off with Meghan, but who else will want these products? The brand doesn't have the cachet for the truly rich and the pricing is ridiculous for everyone else.

Meanwhile no pancake mixes in the Highgrove kitchen for Pancake Day!

www.instagram.com/reel/DGx7DsfKvxs/?igsh=ZHUyNWt1azRtang1

From the website, the jam/spread/preserve/whatever is in a jar but also what looks like a decorative cardboard tube, the kind you get the nice port in at Christmas. I don't see what's keepsake about it, what would you do with it? Fortnum and Mason have some of their stuff in proper pottery vessels that can definitely be reused and the tea tins are very pretty.

Completely agree.

I have many thoughts on this but also slow fingers and glacial iPad so bear with me - I’ll be back!

Most watched TV programs today (films has a different section) anything big goes to number 1 immediately, often anything new does.

I can't see this being a slow burn, so I think it needs to go to number 1 tomorrow, lots of other series go straight to number 1.

@IcedPurple ah I see. I delved further into the site and yes it is at number 6.

"Gormless lifestyle filler" - ouch 😩

Quote from Maureen Callaghan on Meghan’s show, brutal.
Resentment and rage seem to simmer just below that faux-placid surface, threatening to erupt in full boil against the undeniable truth: her fame is waning, her talents are questionable, and she's married to a beta-royal.

Think the above review unearthed the jarring dissonance many feel but cant quite put a finger on it.

Off topic but I highly recommend the Gabby Petito documentary. It's a really sad story but a well made documentary.

I haven't watched the series as I sense it will be boring, but I do think a bit of 'live and let live' would be kind. Yes, her antics are amusing in a soap-opera way but she's not doing any harm, surely? They need to earn shit-loads of money and she's certainly having a go at it. But....I'm not a saint and some of the posts on here are v funny!

Yes, it's a bit like with films in cinemas. They really need to get big numbers in the opening weekend, unless they're a 'word of mouth' type film which gradually picks up steam due to good reviews. That certainly won't be the case with Meghan! She's also benefitted from the fact that there is little competition in NF right now, with no big releases this week. How has she done in the American market I wonder?

Sorry, but why do they "need to earn shit-loads of money"?

They have more than enough money from Harry's despised family for them and their children to live in comfort, if not A list luxury, for the rest of their lives. Not saying they can't seek to earn more money if they want, but nobody has the right to a Montecito lifestyle.

And she put the show out there, so if it's crap people are allowed to say so. Should all the 'respectable' publications which have panned the show also have to tone down their comments because Meghan wants to live like the A lister she has never been?

I've just watched an 8 minute You Tube video of Carlos Sainz (F1 driver) making pancakes. He is rather hapless and loves vanilla extract a bit too much, but you can see that he is struggling in a kitchen that isn't his own as opposed to never having made a pancake before. It was overlong, but charming in it's own way.

Fortunately, Carlos is an accomplished race winning F1 driver who has something to fall back on. Meghan and Harry's do not.

Interesting there are threads on the show in other sections and the comments are largely much the same as on here.

Because they want to run and staff a massive house clearly, travel everywhere by private jet, wear lots of designer gear and only throw in the odd bit of Zara etc. Meghan thought she was marrying a billionaire and that’s what she wants.

I read before because of the size of property they’ve bought their security bill will be huge. even if Harry inherited a lot of money they are spending a lot of money, it’s probably not sustainable long term.

What a fascinating character Meghan is

i think people have mentioned previously Meghan does have problems with eye contact and seems to be hyper aware of herself ( acting)
Then flashes of her true feelings leak and it’s quite disconcerting

Has anyone ever come across anyone in real life who is that overconfident yet uncool
I know people have mentioned Amanda but she is a fictional character ( and more likeable )

Long live Meghans “Co-lab” with Netflix - maybe a Sit -com is the way to go !

Judi James, the body language expert :

“Meghan’s unreality show is also a dystopian nightmare for feminists, a glimpse of how women might have looked had we never got the vote and been consigned to a Jane Austen world of sprigged cotton and flower arranging, where survival meant marrying rich and entertaining the locals”

I've only seen the clip where Rachel's berating the guest who called her a Markle.

If that's the way she talks to her friends when she knows she's on camera I don't envy anyone getting on the wrong side of her in private💀

@AtIusvue I always knew I liked Jane Austen. Haven't watched the show, not sure I want to be Meghan. But that description of the Jane Austen world of sprigged cotton, flowers and entertaining sounds wonderful to me!

I would be surprised if she doesn't make it into the top10 in the UK, I think it may be a struggle if she makes it into the top 10 in the US or globally. Although there are still questions around Netflix massaging their statistics to push some shows into the top10.

@IcedPurple Can you see the global or US list when you are a UK subscriber? or is that only available on the weekly list?

Brilliant description - over confident but uncool.

It’s interesting you talk about Amanda being more likeable. While watching the 8 episodes yesterday (bored and starting to hallucinate) - I imagined Amanda in place of her, so the same movements, facial expressions etc. And I thought, nope, not even Amanda would come across as this bad.

She’s also weirdly skittish. She darts around a lot, can’t stay in one place, avoids eye contact but at the same time is overpowering and controlling. It’s a weird combo.

Ah. I now see Jack In The Box is a fast food outlet.

Thank goodness that's cleared up. There I was thinking it must be some kind of euphemism...

Yes, absolutely, episode 2 and 3 are amazing.

i started watching the one Mindy Kaling wrote with Kate Hudson, and that is easy watching even is it is a bit simplistic and predictable, gets better halfway through the episodes.

You're right in one sense, that many highly regarded shows on Netflix have been canned once they've done their job of bringing subscribers.

However, I don't think this has the substance for a hate-watch. The reviews will corner the "hate-watch" market, as people won't need to view it to slag it off. The docuseries was different in that regard as it was spilling gossip, and the reviews didn't cover everything.

In this case, I'd suspect that it won't have the same pull, as the gossipy substance isn't there.